Thursday, December 31, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you guys from the two of us.( In this image, Matthieu did the girl and I did the background!)

This image is a way to end the first year of SCRIBILING and start the second one, with a whole new theme! We're going to explore the world in 2010!!Each month, we'll pick a country, and we'll each do 4 images based on it.should be very challenging, and a lot of fun as well!

Although I'll be gone visiting one of these places next week, I'll jump on this right when I get back! So, until then, have a GREAT new year's, and a fantastic start to 2010Cheers

All in all there are 125.5 girls drawn hereOne of the girls in the last image is cut halfway up, so she's a halfsy, and I'm not counting the baby...who just happens to be a girl of course!

I know I don't typically show that many sketches, or such "raw" sketches here, but I wanted to post these so that everybody could see them. Especially students.I get a lot of emails from art students asking me how I got my style, how I do the work I do, a lot of them ask me what software I use, as if that is the key to doing fun and nice illustrations or animations.I also see a lot of portfolios of younger artists either still in school or just graduating who are wizards at using Photoshop, Maya , illustrator, flash and whatever software is out there these days, but , very few of them actually DRAW a lot in their sketchbooks. And if they do, they tend NOT to show their sketches.

The reason I'm talking about all this right now is because if you do want to get better, if you really want to find your own style, and start having fun with your art, it is all about actually DRAWING! And drawing in your sketchbook, everyday, is really the first step you need to do. The second one is SHOW YOUR SKETCHES!!! I know it's scary to show your personal work because, in a way, you feel like you are exposing yourself to people, and the fear of judgment is a terrible feeling. But you'll be surprised to find out that people will react favorably , and will give you feedback that you NEED to grow as a artist.

Additionally , the more you draw and the more you share your work, the more you will inspire your peers and people around you, and the more motivated you'll get.

Lastly....art and talent is not a gift from god. I don't subscribe at all at all to this point of view.The art of drawing is purely mechanical. The more you practice, the better you get. There's no secret involved, no formulas, no crutch. The more you draw the better you get.

As far as ART and what you are saying with your art is concerned, it's a totally different matter.It's a lot like writing in my opinion. Everybody can learn how to write, but a precious few can become Mark Twain's or Ernest Hemingway. That takes something else. A vision, a point of view, an outlook on life that is personal, the dedication to bring it out of you.And of course, a lot of focused work to get it out of you.

THIS is where your style develops as well. It's not in the act of drawing, is HOW you use that skill. What you are going to say with it and the way you are saying it... that's what your style is. In short..

If you want to become an artist...DRAW! Don't look for formulas and shortcuts.And enjoy your life, have tons of experiences, and draw from them to create your own art.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

... I just got back from L.A. where I was at the Creative Talent Network expo!,,,and it's going to be ThanksGiving this week! So...there probably won't be many ( of any) more sketches this week, but as of next week, I should be returning. Maybe not to a daily , but I'll be posting again!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

As most of you know by now, I went to art school in France.Between the years of 1995 and 2000 I attended the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs de Strasbourg.Not only was it a great school, but it was attended by GREAT people!

One of them being my friend BOULET!Even before graduating, Boulet was already extremely popular with his strips and his own brand of humor.He went on to have a GREAT GREAT career in Graphic novels in France where he is quite famous actually.A few years back, Boulet started a Blog, http://www.bouletcorp.com/blog/

There, he would post one page comic strips.In a few months, his blog became one of the most read( if not THE most read) blog in France)

Since we are on the subject of Strasbourg, here's another memory sketch.As students we use to go eat a cafeteria called "FEC" which was fairly close to the school.This is a very vague memory of what the place where it was looked like.

Friday, November 13, 2009

A little while ago, I started doing some sketches of Strasbourg, the city where I went to college. Here's another.

I think the name of this street was ' Le quai des Bateliers"..?It was on the way to school.There was this boat there, that was also a restaurant, and, in the morning, geese would use the river ( L'ill) as a take off ramp. I should do a sketch of just that as well!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Friday, November 06, 2009

Earlier this year, I did a children book and an animation based on a song by a band called They Might Be Giants.

The books is now out in all good bookstores, and, for those of you who are in the bay area, there will be a book signing with the band and myself on Thursday, November 12, at 4 00 PM,at the Booksmith bookstore, on Haight Street, in San Francisco!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

...here's a peek, but, if you want to see the whole thing, go check it out HERE!( Once a again, sorry to do that to you guys, but I'm a little too busy for a double sketch today!)http://scribiling.blogspot.com/